Summary of the Town of Washington Comprehensive Plan Goals

Editor’s note:  The following list of goals with discussion is the work product of the Town of Washington’s Comprehensive Plan Committee furnished at our request and printed here as a public service.  When the committee started on the review of the 1987 plan, there was an announcement that the draft plan would be on the town website so the public could see its progress.  As that has not happened, we will attempt to report in these pages and on our website, www.themillbrookindependent.com, the work of the committee as it progresses. 

The next meeting of the Comprehensive Plan Committee is scheduled for February  

GOAL 1: Keep the Town rural and the Village the area's one center. 
This goal is under review currently.
This goal focuses on preserving the edge between the rural town and the settled village. Recommendations address maintenance of the Town’s traditional land use patterns, use of easements and protective methods, development of an official map, enactment of a Community Preservation Act, and evaluation of incentives for conservation among others. It also focuses on policies to avoid infrastructure expansion into the Town by concentrating development along existing roads, working with the Town Highway Department and the NYS Department of Transportation to minimize the undesirable effects of road maintenance and adopting a scenic road law/rural road law in order to preserve and maintain the aesthetic quality and natural beauty of the Town’s scenic roads, roadside views and rural character

GOAL 2: Preserve rural character, scenic beauty and history. 
The committee has not reviewed this goal yet. 
This goal addresses the preservation of scenic corridors, viewsheds, edges and ridgelines. It encourages actions that respect historic places, and calls for the maintenance of traditional development patterns and character. It reduces reliance on the car, thereby keeping roads rural and two-lane.

GOAL 3: Protect land, water and the natural environment.
This Goal focuses on protection, preservation and conservation of the Town’s natural resources. It offers recommendations to conserve rural lands including farms and agricultural soils and open space by requiring rural development standards, using conservation easements, working with the Agricultural Committee, enactment of a Community Preservation Act and participation in a Purchase of agricultural easement program among other approaches. The goal calls on the Town to protect groundwater, aquifers, wetlands, floodplains and waterways by monitoring groundwater supplies and minimizing impact on resource, and promote compatible land uses over aquifer recharge areas. Finally the goal focuses on protection of forests and other natural habitats, biodiversity, and sensitive environmental areas including steep slopes and scenic areas through community education and designation of Critical Environmental areas.

GOAL 4: Strengthen the Village center.
This goal focuses on supporting the Village center as a compact, walkable and mixed‐use place by concentrating businesses inside existing commercial areas, promoting locally owned establishments and encouraging home occupations among other things.  It calls on the Town to   support a livable and affordable Village center, by providing a range of housing choices in developed areas in or adjacent to the Village, encouraging clustering and allowing senior housing options such as in-law apartments. Finally the goal calls on the Town to promote tourism as an important regional economic driver and expanding market for the Town and Village.

GOAL 5: Maintain a high quality of life.
This goal calls upon the community to strengthen the Town so that is remains an inclusive, safe and healthy community. The Goal focuses on the mixed-use Village as the center for retail and service activities by keeping it walkable, compact, livable and affordable.  Under the goal the Town should regulate development in the Town so that it minimizes competition with Village establishments; encourage local business development through compatible home occupations.  Recommendations include use of commercial design standards and improvement of streetscape amenities including sidewalks, curbs, street trees, benches, banners. The promotion of tourism as an important regional economic driver and expanding market for the Town and Village is identified as an important action. The goal also addresses the preservation and protection of historic buildings, sites and structures. 

GOAL 6: Govern with openness and fiscal responsibility.
This goal calls on the community to govern openly with the fullest possible public participation. It focuses on maintaining ongoing communication and cooperation around shared interests and issues between the Town and Village planning efforts. Through this goal the Town pledges to hold down taxes as much as possible and be careful spending the Town’s Money. The goal directs the Town to think globally, be engaged regionally and plan locally within its vision.  Finally, the goal focuses on developing a long term planning program that tracks progress.